A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of visiting Holts Café for lunch. It's a trendy cafe on the mezzanine level of one of Yorkville's institutions, Holt Renfrew. The cafe was an elongated bright space with a red and light grey color scheme. It's an ideal setting for a casual lunch, business lunch, dates, or mid-afternoon shopping break. Holts Café's menu features a locally-inspired menu with a variety of signature dishes including the chopped salad and Holts burger.

I started off with a drink from their mocktails selection; the Mango Mule ($7) - peaches and cream syrup, lime juice, mango juice, ginger syrup, Angostura bitters, soda. It was a sweet and refreshing non-alcoholic beverage.

We got the Grilled Jerk Shrimp ($14) containing jalapeño pineapple salsa as an appetizer. I was told that it only had a slight kick due to some regular clienteles complaining about the heat level. The jerk shrimp along with the sweet and juicy pineapple was a fantastic combo.

The Fragrant Steamed Mussels ($13) - peppers, thyme, oregano, garlic, shallots, white wine was another stand-out appetizer. The seafood delicacy come together with the help of white wine and various spices to create a lovely aromatic smell. The broth itself was light and savory, and there was a generous helping of mussels (big enough to share between two people).

One of Holts Café'smost recommended salad was the Chopped Salad ($19) - avocado, cucumber, peppers, chickpeas, sweet corn, red cabbage, romaine lettuce, French vinaigrette. The salad was a decent option, but there wasn't enough French vinaigrette, so it tasted too light to me.

I opted for the Pickerel ($27) as my main, and it was a perfectly cooked dish. The fish was lightly seasoned and complemented the creamy Jerusalem artichoke and French beans. It was also topped with some shaved fennel, which didn't really seem to add or detract from the taste. Lastly, the pickerel was pan-seared, which resulted in a beautiful crust that added to the texture of the fish. A simply light main course!

Desserts has always been one of my favorite things, so I was looking forward to trying the Strawberry Shortcake ($10). It was made with shortcake biscuit, pastry cream, strawberry compote, crème Anglaise, Chantilly cream. It was literally a platter of sugar, which probably doesn't suit everyone's palette. It was very sweet, which I liked. However, I think that they could add a few more strawberries to balance out the sweetness of the shortcake biscuits.

The Chocolate Mousse ($10) - fresh raspberry, feuilletine hazelnut crust, coulis gracefully sat in a pool of coulis made from puréed fruits. It was definitely an airy and rich dessert.

Brewed Coffee ($4.25)

Overall, our lunch at the Holts Café at Holt Renfrew Toronto was a very pleasant dining experience. Despite it being near 75% capacity, I noticed that all diners were being attended to appropriately, which I am not surprised considering the brand namesake. Furthermore, our server (Joe) was attentive and personable.

If you do come for lunch, they are are extremely limited parking spaces in the Yorkville area. So I'd recommend either using public transportation, Uber, or taking a taxi. However, if you do plan on driving, Holt Renfrew does offer valet parking for $25.Address: 50 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A1

Ladurée is a very popular French luxury bakery and sweets maker house in Paris. They have several locations in France, and also worldwide, including
London, Tokyo, Hong Hong, and more. I actually passed by a Ladurée in
Tokyo back in 2013, but regrettably didn't know about the brand. I only
learned about them when I was doing some research for our Paris trip (so sad).

Our hotel (Elysées Bassano) was centrally located in Champs-Élysées, and we came across Ladurée on our way to dinner at Léon de Bruxelles. I was planning on going to Ladurée the next day, but couldn't help getting some macarons before dinner.

The shop was pretty chaotic, as it was super busy that Friday evening. I read some reviews where people were asked firmly to not take any pictures inside many Ladurée Paris locations. Fortunately, the staff that day were really friendly, and they were okay with us taking photos (we asked first). I have noticed that a lot of fancy pastry shops based in Europe frowned upon photography ... it's pretty much free advertising!

Anyway, I got a box of 6 macarons (€17.50 / $24). I got the following flavours; pistachio, rose, iced mint, coconut, Marie Antoinette tea, and strawberry candy "guimauve". I enjoyed all six flavours, and the shells were lightly crisp with smooth filling that was flavorful. I prefer Ladurée over Pierre Hermé cause they are more sweeter.

Compared to Toronto, macarons based in Europe are not very
wallet-friendly. They average out to be about $4 CAD per macaron, so
choose your flavors wisely. I really liked the macarons from Ladurée Paris, so we got more boxes as souvenirs at Charles de Gaulle Airport on our way back to Toronto. JJ couldn't believe that we spent a little over $100 on macarons alone that morning, as he's not a fan of macarons. They all made it back safely with no cracks (except the one box that we ate on the plane).

We actually almost missed our flight back to Toronto, cause I had to wait for the macarons to be packed. It wasn't just Ladurée where service was lax and slow. We experienced it in several restaurants and cafes in Paris, so I think that's just the norm. Our Air Canada flight was at 11:00 am, and we had to be at the boarding gate by 10:40 am. We were running down the corridor like crazy expecting the worst - since it was already 10:55 am. We got to our gate, and to our surprise the line just started moving. People were now being boarded! I know a lot of people complain or hate flying with Air Canada, but in that moment ... I was so happy. We were on-time to board our flight =) It was a super risky move, but luck was on our side that very morning.

Light Cafe Canada is a cafe originating
from Taiwan offering gourmet café food and drinks with a contemporary
twist. I have been here on a few occasions, and have always liked the
bright and open-concept space.
The Baldwin location is their first outpost in North America, but they
do have plans for expansion in the near future. I had the pleasure of
being invited to a tasting late last year, and got to try a couple of
new items on the menu.

The contemporary space
itself is very Instagrammable with its bright background, clean white
marble tables, and a backdrop of live plants sprouting from the walls.
They do have several seats in the front (best lighting),
and a bunch more tables in the back. It's a good place to dine for all
sorts of occasions like casual lunch or dinner, date night, and catching
up with friends.

The drinks menu includes espresso-based
beverages (hot and iced), slow drip hand brew coffee, infused loose tea
leaf, au lait, and several smoothies & Italian soda options. Since
it was getting late, I didn't want coffee
keeping me up as I had an early morning the next day. I ended up
getting the Strawberry Smoothies ($6.25), which was a mountain high
beverage.

From the salad options, I got the Smoked
Duck Breast Salad ($11.95) - smoked duck breast, spring mix, orange
slices, butter squash, cherry tomato, roasted cauliflower, and lettuce
frisee. They have four salad dressing to
choose from, which were yuzu, sesame, mustard, and house special
dressing. The salad was a light starter, but there could have been a bit
more slices of duck for the price.

Light Cafepays very close
attention to presentation, which I can truly appreciate. The Lobster
Bisque ($9.25) was well presented on a wooden board - the soup was
served in an individual sized saucepan alongside slices of
garlic bread, and side salad. The lobster bisque was also available on
its own for $6.25. The bisque has been tweaked to satiate the Asian
palate, as it wasn't as salty or rich compared to French lobster bisque.
but it remained fragrant.

My favorite menu item from Light Cafe has to be their Lobster Roll ($15.50) - chopped lobster, crab meat & shrimp in a creamy dressing on two freshly baked soft roll. The overall composition
of the lobster roll here was
pretty good, as the meat to bun ratio was not disproportional. I really
liked the buttery toasted bun. Overall, it was well-priced, tasty, and
generously portioned.

Lastly, Light Cafe has a
wide selection of desserts to satisfy one's sweet tooth. The desserts
here aren't as sugar-averse as the typical Western desserts. Looking
through the menu, I saw that they recently introduced waffles
to their desserts menu including seasonal fruits, strawberry, early
grey, and charcoal black sesame waffle. We ended up getting the
Strawberry Waffle ($9.95), which arrived with ice-cream, whipped cream,
strawberries and blueberries, and topped off with strawberry
sauce. This was quite a decadent dessert, and the waffle texture was
nice and soft.

Crème Brûlée Three Ways ($9.75) -early grey, white chocolate, coffee

Overall, I had an
enjoyable meal at Light Cafe, and do recommend the restaurant when one
is looking for an affordable casual dining space. For the price point,
it was a rather exemplary dining experience. I also liked that
the management was open to criticism and feedback, and they do listen
to what customers want/need.

Located at First Canadian Place on the mezzanine level is Maman Toronto. They are a Parisian-inspired cafe in the heart of the financial district offering a taste of Southern France. The savoury and sweet menu changes daily, featuring an assortment of dishes created by Chef Armand Arnal. Having been to Paris a year ago, I have come to adore Maman's detailed decor. They have replicated the allure of sitting in a Parisian cafe from the flowers, tables adorned with cute bunny ceramics, wooden communal tables down to the mosaic tile flooring. Perfect for a lunch visit.

Maman Toronto recently launched “Maman à Table” where diners are able to enjoy a $20 prix-fixe menu every Friday afternoon. Indulge in a three course menu featuring a starter, a choice of main, and finishing off with a selection of mini sweet bites and drip coffee or tea of your choice. The weather may be cooling off, but you can still enjoy this menu every Friday from 11:30 am to 2 pm all season on the fully licensed patio or inside the cafe.

For the starter, one has the option to choose between a cold summer soup “grilled tomato gazpacho with sweet red peppers & cucumber” or de-constructed avocado toast. I opted for the avocado toast as my starter. I enjoyed the DIY aspect of the avocado toast, and it's a healthier option, so that is always an added bonus.

I have tried the Croque Maman on several occasions, so I got the daily quiche instead. There were three different choices to select from, and I opted for the Ham and Cheese Quiche - served with mixed greens, as my main. The quiche was excellent with its flaky yet buttery pastry exterior loaded with a creamy filling mixed with ham and cheese. It was a downright delicious quiche.

Drip Coffee

We ended our Maman à Table experience with some Mini Sweet Bites fromCafe Gourmand. These satisfying bite-sized treats were great to nibble on to satisfy my sweet tooth without overindulging in sugar.

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Welcome to Foodaholic! A Toronto-based food reviews, travel and lifestyle blog. My name is Sandi, and I am a female living in the city of Toronto (Canada). I am also an entrepreneur working in the field of logistics and e-commerce. When I am not working, I enjoy blogging, traveling, reading, taking photos, and of course eating. I started this blog as I am an avid foodie who also loves to travel, and I wanted an outlet to share my personal experiences.

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Food Rating System

The rating list is based on the estimated price of a meal for one person (including taxes).

$ = Inexpensive, under $15$$ = Moderately affordable, between $15-$25$$$ = Expensive, between $25-$50$$$$ = Very expensive or fine dining, $50 and up

Disclaimer (Reviews)

This was blog was started for the purpose of sharing my opinions of restaurants that I have dined at (or took out delivery). Some of you may have different taste buds or a completely different dining experience than what I've had, and may disagree with my reviews, which is fine. However, please note that all of the reviews featured on this blog are solely based on my dining experience. Thanks :)